The Splendor of Spring in Maramures

Located in northern Romania, Maramures has become a traditional Easter destination

Daniel Onea, 24.04.2025, 13:01

Located in northern Romania, Maramures has become a traditional Easter destination. In addition to traditional dishes and a presentation of traditions, tourists are also invited to get moving, as they can go hiking, the trails being designed for the whole family. You can’t miss a narrow-gauge train ride or visits to the famous wooden churches, eight of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

All holidays are beautiful in Maramures, says our guide, Dan Carpov, a tourism promoter in the area. Of course, Easter also stands out for its unique combination of ancient traditions, an intense religious atmosphere, and special spring landscapes.

“The most important reason why people should come to Maramures for these holidays is the strict observance of religious traditions. The Holy Week services are perhaps the most important, with rituals specific to the area. We have religious processions, such as the one on Good Friday, with the carrying of the Holy Epitaph. They are impressive for tourists and for all those who visit Maramures. We also have unique Easter customs, specific to the area, such as sprinkling girls with perfume on the second day of Easter, which are sacredly preserved in certain villages. It is a very pleasant moment, after going through the passions that precede the celebration. The culinary part is also a tradition. We have pască, cozonac, drob (Easter cheesecake, Easter sweet cake, meatloaf). Lamb meat is, of course, the emblematic one for this time of year. It is a specific event for every household in Maramures, a household that has an authentic atmosphere. Maramures villages, as we know, preserve their traditional charm. There will be wooden houses, carved gates, wooden churches to visit. They can be experienced around Easter a little differently, because we no longer have that urban hustle and bustle. In the countryside, everything happens more slowly, more quietly. The hills and mountains, until now covered in white, take on the specific color of spring. Green is starting to appear.”

Maramures is famous for agrotourism and also offers numerous accommodation options, including in traditional houses, and rural guesthouses even encourage tourists to participate in household activities.

“Thus, tourists can learn a little bit of the specific traditions of the place. These accommodations are usually made in houses preserved near the guesthouses or in the courtyard shared with the guesthouses. These are renovated, have all the facilities that people in the 21st century are now used to, but, of course, they have that traditional flavor well known in the area and, of course, the specific architecture. As for participating in activities, work in the fields has already begun in certain areas. Thus, you can see the animals, all kinds of equipment that are still traditional for this spring, field work, and, of course, the first layers are already being prepared around the households. Tourists who come do not want to do very laborious work, but, usually, these are the ones that take them a little outdoors.”

Dan Carpov, a tourism promoter in Maramureș, recommends such accommodations, in traditional households, to see how traditional recipes are prepared, or even to cook together with the hosts. You will notice that all the ingredients are fresh. They are from nearby, from the household, from the neighbors, as is still done in the rural area.

“It is also interesting that those who come to Maramureș can discover traditional crafts and, as foreigners say, learning-by-doing, the craftsmen will invite them to see what it is like to carve wood or practice pottery. Ladies and gentlemen, you can check out a little bit about weaving and the loom and, of course, the most important and most enjoyable thing is to participate with your hosts and those from the area where you are staying, in the local celebrations and events that abound during this period. Each area of Maramureș has something specific to offer. Tourists are welcome to come with your hosts to these important, religious moments.”

On the other hand, the mocanita and the Vaser Valley represent an important tourist attraction in every season, especially in spring. Such a functional means of transport is hard to find in other parts of Europe, says Dan Carpov. It is a narrow-gauge railway.

“It means that the tracks are much closer together than those of a normal railway, being a forest railway. Having a narrow gauge, the train also moves more slowly, so that you get to enjoy nature in all its splendor. The locomotive that pulls this steam train is a steam locomotive. In all historical films, that locomotive steam and that noise specific to the railway tracks offer a unique moment, visual, olfactory, auditory. This journey is very important, as is what you see through the window of the carriages of this steam train. The Vaser River is now full of water, because the snow on the slopes is melting. A swirling mountain water, which flows at a much higher speed than the steam train, goes in the opposite direction, it is spectacular. Nature is also waking up. Spring flowers are already present, at least at the beginning of the route. All this makes the experience unique for this season, spring.”

To plan your visit, you can access the Visit Maramureș mobile phone application.

“As a novelty, we have interactive maps where you can see distances and calculate an itinerary for each day, if you want to discover Maramureș on your own. Practical information can also be found at the tourist information centers, which are present in every community in Maramureș, and I think it would be very important for tourists to check the events and news before coming. They are present both in the application and at the tourist information points. Thus, you often find that something interesting is happening on the day you come to Maramureș.”

Last but not least, spring is less crowded than summer or autumn, and the temperatures are perfect for hiking, a trip with Mocănița, or for cycling in Maramureș.